Representatives Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Yvette Clarke (D-NY) introduced the “Interagency Council on Affordable Housing Act” (H.R.2974) in the U.S. House of Representatives on April 27. The bill would establish an Interagency Council on Affordable Housing and Preservation, like the existing U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, dedicated to developing federal policy to preserve and strengthen existing affordable housing, public housing, and federal housing voucher assistance programs. NLIHC has endorsed the bill.
The Interagency Council on Affordable Housing and Preservation would conduct research and develop recommendations to preserve and expand the supply of affordable housing, increase fairness in the rental market, and advance fair housing principles. The dedicated council would develop policies to address the country’s affordable housing crisis and protect low-income renters living in federally assisted housing.
“With housing prices through the roof, millions of Americans struggle to find a home they can afford, or to stay in the one they have now,” said Representative Schiff. “We must find new and innovative ways to bring down the cost of housing and make it more affordable for people. That is why I’m introducing the Interagency Council on Affordable Housing Act to find solutions and expand the availability of affordable housing.”
“Housing is a human right, and Congress has a vital responsibility to protect it. Our nation’s dire affordable housing crisis will continue to reach communities across the country if we don’t act with deliberate urgency,” said Representative Clarke. “Through a new dedicated interagency council, we will ensure every American family relying on housing assistance – whether it be voucher programs, eviction defense programs, rent gouging prevention, or other meaningful programs – maintains the federal aid they need to stay housed, safe, and stable.”
Read the bill text at: https://bit.ly/3LN2rE8